T86 (Type 86)

History

For decades, the Taiwanese Army and Navy have relied on their Armalite-inspired T65 assault rifles. The T65 debuted in 1976 and served on the front lines for a while before being handed over to more modern replacements. The T65 has also proven important in Taiwanese military history as it was the first indigenous assault rifle design developed by Taiwanese industry. The second would be the T86, which originated in 1992 and received a public prototype in 1996.

The T86 officially replaced the T65 in 1997 and entered service in 2000.

Based on the T65, the T85 retains many of the features that made the Armalite/M16 rifle a success. So the T85 is a further development of the T65, which was already obsolete at the time. The T85 brought a new retractable polymer shoulder rest (like the US M4 carbine) and an aluminum receiver. Plastic is used throughout to save weight. The weapon is loaded with 5.56x45mm NATO cartridges and is fed by a curved 30-round detachable magazine (other STANAG magazines are also supported, including a 100-round C-Mag drum).

The tried and tested screw cap with gas operation is still the system, the gas cylinder is arranged above the barrel, as in the M16/M4. The rate of fire is 700-800 rpm and the total weight is 3.17 kg. The T86 is equipped with a four-speed fire selector, including safety, single-shot, burst and fully automatic modes. Sights are adjustable irons and optics are optional.

Charging is via the M16-style T-handle on the rear of the upper receiver. The T86 also supports a bottom-mounted 40mm single-shot grenade launcher.

Carbine version of the T86 with a shortened handguard, cylinder and barrel. Equipped with an optional bipod and a 100-round C-Mag drum, the T86 can be deployed on the battlefield as a squad support light machine gun.

The T86 was never widely accepted by the Taiwanese military as fewer than 5,000 were produced at the time. Production spanned just two years from 2000 to 2002 (by the 205th Combined Service).

However, the T86 is the starting point for the Taiwan Army's new standard service rifle, the T91, which entered service in 2003 and has reached production of over 140,000 at the time of writing (2013). The T91 builds on the successful qualities of the T65 and T86 rifles while incorporating entirely new qualities to accommodate tactical and production changes elsewhere in the world.

Overall, the T91 retains the same M16-style layout as its predecessor.

Jordan is the only global operator of T86 other than Taiwan.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes